The Sexy Plant

Plants for pest control: a sustainable alternative to pesticides

Pitch

The Sexy Plant rises as a redefinition of the current pest control paradigm which relies on the use of pesticides. The systematic release of these dangerous chemicals is unsustainable and harmful to the environment. Therefore, the aim of this start-up is to develop a plant capable of autonomously manage pest populations in order to protect valuable crops avoiding pesticide’s use. The Sexy Plant pest control mechanism is based on the production and release of insect sex pheromones, which can effectively control pest populations by mating disruption and without harming the environment. This revolutionary project has been developed using state-of-the-art biotechnological technology which has lead to an award-wining prototype in the international competition hosted by the MIT, iGEM 2014. The Sexy Plant opens a window of new opportunities to make agriculture safer and environmentally-friendly.

—————–

This start-up is one of the Top-10 teams in our Grande Finale and won access to Climate-KIC Accelerator. The Sexy Plant was also chosen by the audience as their favourite. Curious about the pitch during the ClimateLaunchpad European Final 2015? You can watch it here.